The Desert Shall Blossom
by GaaraXSakuFangirl
Summary: Gaara's heart has been hardened by his past. Can he find love, or will all be lost? Can Sakura show him that not everything he's close to has to die? GaaraxSakura, Slight OOC R&R please
1. A Bad Day

Chapter 1:

**AN: I own nothing, if I did… Gaara would love Sakura, Sakura would hate Sasuke and Lee would be real.**

Chapter 1:

Sakura was running through the village, trying desperately to find Naruto or Sasuke, she had to find out who that red haired kid was and why he was here. Her day had been bad enough as it was; some little snot-nosed brat had called her Naruto's girlfriend and a witch… She'll destroy him later… Its too bad Naruto didn't let that make-up wearing freak kill him… Would have been easier for her.

"Naruto… I'm going to pummel you if you don't show you're face soon…" Sakura mumbled under her breath as she kept going. She ran right into Sasuke and knocked him over.

"Hey! Watch where you're going… Sasuke?" Sakura screamed as she went flying back as well.

"Sakura! What are you doing?" Sasuke yelled at Sakura as he got up and dusted himself off.

"I… Uh… Sorry… Sasuke…" Sakura stumbled over her words as a bright red blush spread over her face.

"Just watch where you're going next time, you're as bad a Naruto some times." Sasuke said and with that he left

**You hear that princess; you're as bad as Naruto!**_ No I'm not… Am I_? **Well according to Sasuke, you are.**

"SASUKE! Wait!" Sakura cried out and tried to catch up to him.

"What do you want?" Sasuke said with a hint of anger in his normally emotionless voice

"I… I'm sorry I ran into you… I was trying to find you or Naruto to ask if either of you knew why those sand ninja were here…" Sakura said quietly.

"I thought you of all people would know that first, the chunin exams are starting soon and genin are coming here from all over for them." Sasuke said with a sigh "Are you really that dumb or is it just really good acting?"

"Well you don't have to be an ass about it Uchiha, I'm surprised you're brother didn't kill you when he killed the rest of you're damned clan!" Sakura shouted as she stamped away fuming, leaving Sasuke to think on what she had just said.

"**CHA! Did you see the look on his face when we told him off?"**_ "Yeah, it was pretty funny huh?"_ **"Now… How do you think he's going to react to you saying we wish he were dead?"** _"Kusso, I didn't think of that… He may just leave me for dead on out next mission…" _Sakura though as she walked into someone and let out a squeek. **"Ew! Gross! He smells like blood!!" **Inner sakura complained, _"I'm sure he's just hurt is all…" _Sakura though as she looked up to see whom it was she ran into so she could apologize

.

"Stay out of my way if you value you're life." Came a voice so raspy it sounded like sand it's self was talking. It was that strange red head again… But why did he smell like blood?

"I… Sorry…" Sakura whispered.

"Hn." Was all he said as he started to walk away.

"Wait! I didn't catch your name!" Sakura said as she reached out to keep him from walking away.

"Gaara." That's all he said as he disappeared in a whirl of sand.

Later that night

"I'm not like Naruto, nor am I weak!" Sakura whispered as she punched a tree on the training grounds repeatedly. One punch she landed on the tree went right through it. Sakura sat down and wrapped her bloodied fists as she heard footsteps and sensed a strong chakra and stood in a fighting pose "Who's there?" She said in a weak voice, she had to admit she was in no condition to fight. As soon as she said that though the footsteps stopped.

"Hello?" Sakura said as she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in. She could still sense the chakra, but she didn't hear any movement. The chakra was familiar but she couldn't place a name on it. She decided to be reckless and walk towards it.

"What do you want?" Came a raspy voice she had only heard a few times today.

"G- Gaara?" Sakura asked quietly. He hadn't seen her, so how did he know she was walking towards him? Suddenly she heard clapping above her.

"I see you figured who it was. I guess you're not as much of an idiot as that Uchiha thought." Gaara sneered.

"Wha… How… How did you know about that?" Sakura asked in a small voice.

"Please! He calls you that about everyday right? I also saw you stand up for yourself today." Gaara said in a monotone voice as he jumped down from the tree he was sitting in. "Now the only thing I wonder, is should I kill you now or wait until the exams?"

"Kill…. Kill me? Why? What did I do to you?" Sakura whimpered.

Gaara leaned in close, so close she could feel his breath on her face as he spoke "because I want to."

**AN: Ooh suspense!**

**Sorry it's really short… It's my first chapter so give me a break .**

**Review please **


	2. Insane Encounters

Chapter 2:

**AN: I own nothing, if I did Oro-chan would be real D**

Chapter 2:

"_Please! He calls you that about everyday right? I also saw you stand up for yourself today." Gaara said in a monotone voice as he jumped down from the tree he was sitting in. "Now the only thing I wonder, is should I kill you now or wait until the exams?"_

"_Kill…. Kill me? Why? What did I do to you?" Sakura whimpered._

_Gaara leaned in close, so close she could feel his breath on her face as he spoke "because I want to."_

"I… Please… No…" Was all Sakura could sputter out but Gaara just laughed in her face. (Literally.)

"You'll get no pity from me girl." Gaara nearly yelled.

"**Don't kill her yet, she may be of use later."** Shukaku whispered in the back of Gaara's mind.

"_Humph I want to kill her now. I don't care what use she may be later."_ Gaara told his demon.

"**You will not kill her, not yet at least." **Shukaku demanded Gaara.

"_Don't take it out on me that you were sealed inside a tea kettle demon. Now if you will excuse me I have a girl to… Hey where'd she go?"_ Gaara thought. Indeed Sakura was nowhere to be seen now. She was running for her life from Gaara.

"Got to get away… Got to get far away…" She mumbled under her breath as she ran. She had her fists clenched so hard that the blood began to seep through the bandages and drops would fall to the ground as she ran.

"Great, thanks demon… Made me lose the girl… Now I'll have to wait until tomorrow to kill her." Gaara thought as he looked down and saw a few drops of blood "Or maybe not…" Were his last thoughts as he began to follow the blood droplets to Sakura's home. All the lights were off inside… Aside from two rooms which made it easy for Gaara to find her, and figure out where she was… Well if it weren't for the steam on one of the windows that is."Damn… The bandages are soaked…" Sakura thought as she pulled the now crimson bandages off. "I feel like I'm covered in filth from being near that sand creep…" Sakura said aloud as she pulled off her clothes and got in the warm bath water.

Sakura sighed as she started singing _These Small Hours_ by _Rob Thomas _While she washed herself.

"Let it go,  
let it roll right off your shoulder  
don't you know  
the hardest part is over  
let it in,  
let your clarity define you  
in the end  
we will only just remember how it feels

our lives are made  
in these small hours  
these little wonders,  
these twists & turns of fate  
time falls away,  
but these small hours,  
these small hours still remain" Sakura stepped out of her bath and wrapped a pink fluffy towel around her slender body "I still don't feel quite clean after that encounter with that sand ninja…" She whispered to herself and began to sing again

"Let it slide,  
let your troubles fall behind you  
let it shine  
until you feel it all around you  
and I don't mind  
if it's me you need to turn to  
we'll get by,  
it's the heart that really matters in the end

our lives are made  
in these small hours  
these little wonders,  
these twists & turns of fate  
time falls away,  
but these small hours,  
these small hours still remain" Sakura sang until she reached her room and dropped her towel. "Well the only good thing I can think of that happened today was my training…" Sakura said to herself.

"**Oh come on, you know that sand ninja was cute!"** Her inner self shouted to her.

"Well yeah… Insane… But cute…" Sakura said aloud with out realizing it. She slowly walked over to her radio and turned it on to find the song _These Small Hours _right where she left off and finished the song while dancing around her room… Still in the buff.

"**Only downside to him being sexy is he smells like blood…" **Inner sakura said.

"Hn… Yeah I suppose the smell of blood would be a mood killer…" "_Or a mood maker"_ She thought to herself. "That red head was pretty sexy though…" Sakura said to herself.

With Gaara-

"**Well you wanted to kill her, what's stopping you now"** Shukaku whispered in the back of Gaara's mind

"_I… I don't know… I feel… Strange right now"_ Gaara thought back. Still watching Sakura from a tree outside her house. "I'll kill you later girl." Gaara whispered before he disappeared in a swirl of sand.

"**Strange huh? If I didn't know any better, I would think the girl is getting to you."** Shukaku laughed. Gaara went to the place he first saw Sakura.

"Shut up demon." Gaara whispered with the normal anger in his voice.

"**Ha ha, testy aren't we Gaara." **Shukaku laughed even harder.

"Silence." Is all Gaara said after that, and to his surprise his demon did just that.

-Back with Sakura-

Sakura looked as her clock and yawned. She had to meet Kakashi and the rest of her team in five hours, knowing Kakashi it would be six. She didn't quite want to go but she had no choice. Sakura looked her hands over; no doubt the wounds would raise a few questions. She decided a change of clothes was in order so she grabbed her money and went to find a new outfit. After an hour of shopping she came home with three new outfits that were sure to cover her wounds.

She pulled on the black finger-less arm warmers and her new black and red dress (think the dress thing she has in the first episodes but the white parts are red and the normally red parts are black) and tight red shorts that reached mid calf. She left the black ninja shoes off until she needed to go out.

About three hours later

Sakura pulled on her shoes and grabbed her keys along with her weapons holster and walked out the door to the training grounds. "Good no-one's here." Sakura whispered as she breathed deep in the sent of the training grounds.

"I see you're here early, girl." Came a raspy voice from behind her.

"Gaara…" Sakura said as she turned around to face the red head she had come to fear. When she turned to face him though he was gone. All she had time to see is a swirl of sand and a red flash in the trees going away from her. She felt a slight twinge in her heart and felt sad for a reason unknown to her… That feeling only lasted a few moments because a hyper blonde had just come running up to her screaming her name.

"What is it Naruto?" Sakura asked slightly annoyed.

"I wanted to say hi…nice new clothes… I never thought you to be one to wear black though…" Naruto replied quietly.

"Don't pester the girl, Dobe." Came a voice Sakura had now come to hate.

"I don't need you to stand up for me Teme." Sakura spat at Sasuke.

"Calm down everyone. I have an announcement to make." Said a lazy voice they had all come to love. "As you may have figured out by now, the Chunin exams are soon and I have allowed you're squad to join." Kakashi said with an eye crinkle.

"Thank you Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled while jumping up and down happily.

"Yes, thank you Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said smiling. After Kakashi poofed away Sakura waved good-bye to Naruto and walked to the training grounds. Unsure of why, but she felt like she should. Could it be that red head was there?

Sakura soon arrived and pulled off her arm-warmers and punched a hole in the tree that was closest. "Ow. Damn it's going to be hard to train with my hands like they are…" Sakura whispered to herself.

"You're here, good. You make my simple task harder than it should be, girl." Gaara growled

"I have a name, Gaara." Sakura growled back with equal anger. She turned to face him, just to find he was closer that she thought. "Why are you so close to me?" Sakura whispered unable to find her voice.

"What? Is that all you can ask when you're about to die?" Gaara asked as his eyes flashed yellow.

"Well I would like an answer, Gaara." Sakura said with venom dripping on every word.

"Hn. I'd like an answer myself." He mumbled to himself.

"An answer to what?" Sakura almost yelled.

"Why I'm so close to you, I'd like an answer to that as well." The words flowed from his mouth before he could stop them. Gaara raised his hand and made the sand wrap around Sakura's body.

Sakura looked into his eyes pleading, begging, him not to kill her when she saw something that she saw everyday. "Gaara, we have the same eyes." She whispered as she reached her hand out, beyond the sand. Hissing as the grains tore her skin she still reached forward and placed her hand on his shoulder. Gaara let his arm drop and the sand fell around Sakura's feet. Sakura couldn't help herself; she hugged Gaara and whispered in his ear "Thank you, thank you so much Gaara-kun."

Gaara didn't know what to make of this he tensed when Sakura wrapped her arms around him, even more so when she called him "Gaara-kun". As soon as Sakura let go he disappeared in a whirl of sand.

-With Gaara-

"I think she likes you." Shukaku said with a chuckle.

"No she doesn't." Gaara whispered, "She was grateful I let her live."

"**I don't know. I think she really likes you… Ask her later."** His demon whispered.

"Hn… I might…" Gaara said.

"You might what?" A boy older than Gaara with purple face paint on asked Gaara.

"Mind your own business, Kankuro, if you like living." Gaara growled to his older brother then went to his room.

-With Sakura-

"**You like him." **Inner Sakura laughed.

"I do not." Sakura said as she entered her room with her arm-warmers in the hand that didn't have wounds on her arm.

"**Do so, I know it… I'm you."** Inner Sakura giggled.

"Okay, maybe I sort of, kind of…. Just a little…. Love him." Sakura whispered as she put some ointment on her newest wounds.

"**I KNEW it!"** Inner Sakura yelled triumphantly.

"Shut up and go to sleep." Sakura said as she crawled in her bed and drifted off into a deep sleep with dreams of red headed saviors and the soft sound of shifting sand. When she woke she looked at her clothes, which she forgot to take off last night and they were covered in sand and blood.

"Crap… I've got to wash these before I go out…" Sakura mumbled.

After she washed her clothes she went out and met Kankuro and smiled warmly at him, which confused him.

"What's with the smile?" He asked her.

"I don't know… Oh thanks for almost killing that little brat the other day…" Sakura said as she kept walking.

"You're welcome I guess…" Kankuro said even more confused now.

Sakura stopped suddenly and walked over to him "You're Gaara's teammate right?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, why? He try to kill you like he does everyone else?" Kankuro said with a slight shiver at the mention of Gaara's name.

"Er… Yes and no. But that has nothing to do with it, do you know where he is?" Sakura asked.

"Dunno, check the roofs… No idea where he goes to at night though. I'm telling you though, don't bother him unless you have a death wish." Kankuro laughed.

"He won't kill me, he's had his chances and never took them… I just want to give him something. Thanks for the help" Sakura said as she waved good bye to him and went in search of Gaara.

AN: Ohh what's Sakura gonna give him? DThis chapter is longer, thank goodness XDI'd love if I could get some ideas from readers. Reviews make me happy DHuggles-chan – Well here's the next chapter D 


	3. Just Kiss Him

AN: I own nothing If I did, Gaara would kill my sister D AN: I own nothing If I did, Gaara would kill my sister D

Chapter 3

"_You're Gaara's teammate right?" she asked quietly._

"_Yeah, why? He try to kill you like he does everyone else?" Kankuro said with a slight shiver at the mention of Gaara's name._

"_Er… Yes and no. But that has nothing to do with it, do you know where he is?" Sakura asked._

"_Dunno, check the roofs… No idea where he goes to at night though. I'm telling you though, don't bother him unless you have a death wish." Kankuro laughed._

"He won't kill me, he's had his chances and never took them… I just want to give him something. Thanks for the help" Sakura said as she waved good bye to him and went in search of Gaara.

Sakura decided to look for him in the training grounds, before she went though she masked her chakra and walked a silently as possible. She soon spotted a flash of red and knew it was him, with her chakra still hidden she ran up to him and hugged him. "Hey Gaara-kun, I've been looking for you." Sakura giggled.

"Huh." Gaara said, he was caught off guard by Sakura, how did she sneak up on him?

"Close you're eyes and face me." Sakura said with a giggle. Gaara, to her surprise, did as he was told. "I've something to give you." Sakura said while smiling.

"**Kiss him! Kiss him! Kiss him!" **Inner Sakura chanted

"_I'm going to, just be patient." _ Sakura thought to herself. Just then Sakura leaned forward and kissed Gaara on lips. Gaara yet again was surprised, no one ever willingly got near him, and no one would even touch him with a ten-foot pole. Yet this girl is right here in front of him, kissing him willingly.

Gaara broke the kiss by backing away from Sakura, eyes wide and visibly shaken "Why… Why did you…" Is all he said.

"Because… I… I think I love you." Sakura simply replied.

"Love?" Gaara asked finally coming out of his shaken state "I don't need love, and I don't need you Girl"

"I… You… No… You don't mean that." Sakura whimpered as the tears began to build in her eyes.

Gaara walked over to her and grabbed her by the throat "I. Don't. Lie, Girl." He said with venom dripping off every word.

"**You don't lie? Then what was that?"** Shukaku yelled in his mind.

"_You know I have to demon, You know we have a mission and if all doesn't go according to plan… Well all will."_ Gaara said having a flash back of the briefing of the mission.

Flashback:

"DESTROY THE LEAF VILLAGE?" A girl with honey blond hair and honey eyes yelled, utter shock written all over her face.

"Yes, any problems with that Temari?" Baki said with a smirk on his face. "And here comes out best weapon now!" He said with slight joy as Gaara walked into the room.

"Shut it Baki." Gaara said in a monotone voice "I will not help in this." Everyone in the room was shocked that Gaara would not take the chance to kill as many people as he wished "Unless you promise the absolute safety of the girl with sakura colored hair." Gaara whispered, mainly to himself but still loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Hey Gaara, I saw her today… She was asking about you… She also said something about you wouldn't kill her. I told her to check the roofs or the training grounds" Kankuro lied and covered it with a sly smile.

"I couldn't kill her even if I wanted to." Gaara thought. "Hn… I'm going out, Baki… If you try to stop me I'll gut you like a fish and make it look like an accident." Gaara said as he walked out.

End Flashback

Sakura was trying to get free of Gaara's grip, he wasn't restricting her breathing but his grip was that of a steel clamp. The tears flowed from her eyes like small streams; she didn't even try to hide them any longer. As Gaara came out of his trance like state he looked at sakura and sighed, "I… Sorry." He whispered as he let go disappeared into a whirl of sand. Before he left Sakura saw into his eyes, and saw something that looked like… Regret…

Sakura slowly made her way to the hokage tower. She knew that the hokage would still be awake and she needed a mission… Gaara was having an effect on her she never thought possible… She felt like she needed to kill something…

"Hokage-sama… I need a B ranked mission." Sakura blurted out as she approached him.

"But Sakura, you're only a genin. I cannot give you that—" The Hokage said before Sakura held up her hand for him to stop.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you Hokage-sama but I just have to have this mission, you may keep the money but I need to kill someone or something." Sakura said before she could stop herself.

The hokage just sighed in defeat and motioned for her to fallow him to get the mission scroll. When they got there the Hokage pulled out a scroll and handed it to Sakura, she read it the looked at the hokage with wide eyes "This scroll … It says for me to kill…"

"Yes, Sakura. Do you accept this mission?" He asked her in a quiet voice.

"I… Yes." She said with her head bowed.

"Good. I expect this mission to be finished before the final fights a month from now." The hokage said with a forlorn look.

"Yes Hokage-sama" Sakura said as she walked out of the tower and to her own house

**Ooh! Who's she gonna kill?**

**Sorry it's short…**

**Sorry it took me forever to update I've been busy with school, my history teacher is a total ass **

**Review please **


	4. 2 deaths, 1 weapon and 1 badass kunoichi

AN: I still own nothing but my writings

**AN: I still own nothing but my writings.**

Chapter 4:

"Yes, Sakura. Do you accept this mission?" He asked her in a quiet voice.

"I… Yes." She said with her head bowed.

"Good. I expect this mission to be finished before the final fights a month from now." The hokage said with a forlorn look.

"Yes Hokage-sama" Sakura said as she walked out of the tower and to find her client.

Sakura jumped on the rooftops in search of the client. She soon reached the village hotel; the very same hotel Gaara and his team were staying in. She looked around and spotted him, in all his bald-and-scarred glory. He was just across the street; before she made it there she heard a voice.

"Well I was hoping to kill you in you're sleep, but I guess I'll have to kill you here." A gauze and fur clad man said with his only exposed eye on Sakura.

"Don't touch her." Came a voice Sakura had grown quite fond of over the past few days. She looked up to see the sand ninja that had broken not only her heart, but her former self.

"Gaara?" Sakura whispered only loud enough for him to hear.

"Hn?" He replied while getting ready to attack, all unknown to Dosu.

"I can handle this myself, let me kill him" Sakura whispered back to Gaara while pulling out a kunai laced with poison. "Dosu, prepare to die." Sakura stated simply as she threw the kunai, as she expected he blocked it with his own but what he didn't see coming was her. She made a shadow clone throw the kunai while she ran up from behind and held a normal kunai to his throat. "Now what was that little bit about killing me?" she asked sweetly but before he had a chance to respond she slit his throat and licked the kunai clean.

"**OH KAMI! DID YOU SEE THAT!?"** Shukaku roared in Gaara's mind

"_Wow… She can handle herself."_ He thought back with a look of utter shock on his face.

"See you later Gaara-kun, I've a B ranked mission to attend to!" Sakura chirped before she jumped to the roof where her client stood. "Baki-san, I'm here for the details of the B ranked mission." Sakura said proudly.

"But you're just a-" Baki started but Sakura held up her hand.

"I'm sure you're familiar with Gaara, well I too am. I am here for the mission because of his… Influence, I guess one could say. I have become what I am. Now are you going to give me the details or do I have to force them out of you?" Sakura said with a bit of an edge in her voice.

"Wait, you've encountered Gaara and he has not killed you?" Baki said with utter shock on his face.

"Yes, yes. Now the details please." Sakura said putting her hands on her hips, still holding the kunai used to kill Dosu.

"Well, he's just on the other side of the wall Baki is by." Said a silver haired boy with glasses.

"Thanks Kabuto." Sakura said while masking her chakra and walking around Kabuto's side of the wall and sending a clone to Baki's side.

"Gekko... Are you spying on Baki and Kabuto?" The clone asked when it came to face him. Sakura was already behind him with her kunai at the ready.

"Sakura? What are you doing here?" He asked quietly "And be quiet, they're plotting to destroy the village." He whispered.

Both the clone and the real Sakura looked at him with confusion "Destroy the village?" Clone Sakura asked. "Well I'm sorry Baki but… I have this B ranked mission and it involves you." The clone said as it pulled out a kunai.

"Sakura, I'm a jonin. You can't possibly expect to kill me with a Kunai." Hayate laughed while standing and backing into the real Sakura and her kunai, the kunai punctured one lung and as he gasped for air he heard these last words as he fell into his painful death. "Hayate, I believe I just did."

Sakura walked to Baki and looked him in the face as best she could considering that he was much taller than her "The deed is done. He shan't be bothering you anymore."

"Wait, you're the girl with sakura colored hair… Gaara, he mentioned you…" Baki mumbled

"He… He did?" Sakura asked shock written all over her face "What did he say?"

"Pretty muss he just wanted to ensure your survival" Baki said while mentally grinning slyly.

"Oh alright." Sakura simply said before she headed for home.

"**TWO KILLS IN ONE NIGHT! CHA!"** Inner sakura yelled while pumping her fists in the air.

"_How good are we?" _Sakura mentally laughed. "You think we impressed Gaara?" Sakura whispered to herself as she reached her home and walked in only to be grabbed around her waist.

"Yes." Came the oh-so-familiar sound of sand shifting and she knew it was Gaara.

"Really now?" She asked, surprised and yet happy to see him.

"Shukaku seemed to enjoy watching you." He said in his monotone voice.

"Who's Shukaku?" Sakura asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My demon." Gaara said like it was the most obvious thing.

"Your… Demon? What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Sakura asked (more like blurted out)

"He was a monk whose soul was sealed inside a tea kettle. I was supposed to be the village's best weapon. But now my father just wants me dead." Gaara said as sadness flashed in his eyes for a brief second.

"Demon or not, Gaara, I still care for you." Sakura said, "Do you… Care for me?" She asked embarrassment obvious in her voice.

"I don't know… I just don't want to be alone anymore." He whispered.

"Nor do I." She said as she wrapped him in a hug. Gaara picked her up a carried her to her room, he could tell by he movement that she was getting tired. "You don't have to be alone anymore." He whispered only so he could hear it as he laid Sakura down and took a seat in a chair near her bed.

**All right, I know this chapter sucks major ass, but I've only gotten a few reviews. Either review or I'm not writing a new chapter for a while. Are we clear?**

**Huggles-chan: Thank you for actually reviewing, I thought that would be cute too so I just had to add it in. I'm trying to gradually make Sakura break through to Gaara, and show him that emotions are not a weakness… Or something like that .**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay so I know I haven't written forever but you can expect chapter 5 some time between now and chapter 6 xD no really between now and September 1****st**


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